The ASHT Hall of Fame is the ultimate award that recognizes therapists who have reached the pinnacle of excellence in all areas of hand and upper extremity therapy: clinical practice, research, advocacy, education, international involvement and innovation.
2024 Honoree
ASHT is proud to recognize the following inductee of the 2024 ASHT Hall of Fame.
- Judy Colditz, OT/L, CHT, FAOTA
Past Honorees
- Dorit Aaron, MA, OTR, CHT, FAOTA - 2023
- Susan Michlovitz, PT, PhD, FAPTA - 2022
- Donna Breger Stanton, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA - 2021
Inaugural Honorees (2020)
Six therapists who met in 1975 in San Francisco at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand formed a committee. This defining moment, and their subsequent determination led to the formation of the American Society of Hand Therapists.
These four occupational therapists and two physical therapists who were employed in a variety of practice settings reflect the diversity currently seen in hand and upper extremity therapy practice today. These pioneer founders were forward thinking and believed that hand therapy should be recognized as a specialty. They further believed that increased opportunities for educational conferences, research, and presentation/publication of peer-reviewed papers would benefit both hand therapists and their patients.
After incorporation in early 1977, the first official meeting of ASHT was held February 20, 1978 in Dallas, TX. All six founding members went on to serve as president of ASHT and remained instrumental in its growth and development of our specialty over many years.
ASHT is proud to recognize its six visionary founders as the inaugural inductees of the 2020 ASHT Hall of Fame.
- Judy Bell-Krotoski, OTR, FAOTA, CHT
- Margaret Carter Wilson, OTR, CHT
- Mary Kasch, OTR, CVE, CHT
- Evelyn Mackin, PT
- Bonnie Olivett, OTR, CHT
- Karen Prendergast Lauckhardt, MA, PT, CHT
Acceptance of this award was pre-recorded and assembled into a video collage. The recipients and their representatives all share insights and inspiration.